


bear with me here

by ChasingRainbows



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Dogs, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Mostly Fluff, Other, a wholesome mess, actually this is just a wholeass mess, bmc but it's told mostly through a dog's perspective, but a mess all the same, but also angst, i would die for bear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 18:05:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16372463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChasingRainbows/pseuds/ChasingRainbows
Summary: Michael has a dog. A really big, really goofy dog.





	bear with me here

**Author's Note:**

> this was not supposed to be so long, but here we are at 5.5k words,,  
> writing this made me want to pet my dogs. so i did!!

The Mells adopt Ronald on Michael's thirteenth birthday. At just under three months old, he's already 58 pounds of white fur and happiness. Michael theorizes that his paws are so big because he needs more room to store all of the love he holds within his entire body. (It still isn't enough space, apparently. Love spills from his lips in puddles of drool and shakes itself free of his body along with copious amounts of fur.)

When the Mells see him prancing around his cage and panting happily, they fall in love immediately. He's the last of his litter, the handler tells them. How he wasn't the first to be adopted is a mystery to the family as they find themselves ensnared within caramel eyes full of innocent joy. The handler tells them that a lot of people are looking for guard dogs, or dogs that are easy to train. Ronald is neither of those things. He is also the biggest of his litter. The shelter has no idea how he ended up mixed in with that litter, considering the others looked like huskies and they're pretty sure Ronald is part Saint Bernard mixed with some other giant fluffy dog breeds.

(They're wrong. He's more likely mostly a Great Pyrenees. Michael takes a picture of him and does a search by image when they get home. The pound doesn't seem to know their dog breeds all too well.)

Anyway, they adopt him without even looking at the rest of the dogs. They also change his name immediately because they all agree that Ronald is a bizarre name for a dog. Especially this dog in particular.

His name is now Bear.

The car ride is an adventure that Bear has never been on before. Or maybe he has and he just doesn't remember. He's a little scared at first but Michael is there in the backseat too and he pulls him into his lap and suddenly Bear isn't as afraid anymore. This is the moment he chooses Michael as his person.

They stop at Petco to pick out all of the necessary puppy supplies. Bear isn't allowed to go in yet (he needs the rest of his puppy shots first) so Michael stays in the car with him. Mom texts him pictures of his options and he shows them to Bear. He chooses the ones he thinks he likes best, although really, it's hard to tell. Bear sticks his head curiously out of the window for a while, watching cars and people and other dogs pass by before resting his head in Michael's lap. Michael scratches gently behind one of his ears and Bear sighs happily, eyes closed in peaceful bliss.

When they finally get home, Bear barrels around the house, sniffing at everything. His paws scrabble against the wood floor, skidding a few feet whenever he tries to stop. There are several close calls involving two separate lamps and a bookshelf. He sprints at full speed towards the sliding door, only to crash headfirst into the glass. Michael is honestly surprised he didn't break the door.

Michael reads training book after training book and watches video after video, trying to figure out the best method to train and bond with the newest member of his family. When one way doesn't work very well, he tries another way. His moms work with Bear too. They all need to bond with him, after all. Whenever he gets mouthy, they take to replacing their arm with whatever toy is closest. This is meant to make it less likely that he'll grow into a biter. Arms are not for chewing, Bear, the squeaky cactus is. Because of his personality, he's not likely to bite, but they'll all admit to being a little scared of his powerful jaws. The first time this happens, Bear is surprised, but he doesn't object. He accepts it after a moment and begins to chew happily on the bone that is now in his mouth. As he grows, they get to a point where he'll let them take things out of his mouth and put it back in without much of a fuss, unless he's seriously chewing on it.

Where Bear will sleep is a question in no one's mind. They all know he'll sleep with Michael, most likely curled up next to him on his bed. Michael is a cuddler. Luckily, Bear is too.

During his first visit to the vet, Bear sits directly in her lap. She's obviously surprised and giggles a lot before getting back down to business and giving him his shots. He looks so betrayed and heartbroken that Michael would laugh if he didn't look so damn sad.

But he perks right back up after he's given a treat and lots of praise. So it's okay.

When all of his shots are done and the vet gives her approval, Michael takes him on long walks. Sometimes his moms tag along, too. Sometimes it's Jeremy. Sometimes it's just Michael and Bear, and while they love having the others with them, sometimes they prefer it to be just the two of them.

They install a doggy door. Then another one when he outgrows it. And then another one when he outgrows that one. Then they decide to wait until he's fully grown to install a new one. They forget, but it doesn't really matter because Michael thinks a door big enough would take up a ridiculous portion of their front door, so why not just open it up for him when he wants out? Bear is fairly vocal about it anyway.

He views everything as a new adventure. Everything is a potential friend, from butterflies to bees and birds to squirrels. Even the postman and the UPS man, which Michael thinks might be breaking some kind of dog code, not that it would matter to him. Sometimes he wishes he shared some of Bear's enthusiasm for new things and new people, his zest for life. Then he feels a little silly about being jealous of his dog, but one day, Jeremy says the exact same thing ( _ Dude, it's weird, but like. Sometimes I wish I was your dog. He's just so happy all the time and he's not afraid of making friends. _ )

***

A year passes. Two. Three. They're full of white fur and shenanigans. There are highs and there are lows. Bear is there through them all.

***

On his sixteenth birthday, Michael gets his license and his uncle's beat up PT Cruiser. They go on long car rides. Bear loves those now. So does Michael.

***

One day, Michael comes home from school and he looks significantly less bright than he usually does. Bear is concerned immediately, especially because the day before, Michael had come home angry, muttering about  _ stupid Jeremy, leaving him at the stupid mall _ . He whines and places his paw gently on Michael's leg. Michael brushes him off. He's collapsed on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His thoughts are interrupted when something lands squarely on his stomach, knocking the breath from his lungs slightly. He pushes himself up enough to see the offending object and finds Bear's squeaky cactus lying there.

Bear trots into the room, dropping his bone next to Michael's bed. Michael sits up fully and finds all of Bear's toys in a messy pile on the floor. Bear pants happily up at him as if to say,  _ Look!! These make me happy and I thought they might make you happy too!! _

Despite everything, Michael finds a soft smile on his face. Bear barks once and hops up next to him.  _ See!! I told you it would work!! _

Michael wraps his arms around Bear's neck, buries his smile in his fur, and for a moment, everything seems like it's going to be okay.

Neither of them can possibly know how much worse things are about to get.

***

Jeremy stops coming over. Bear is sad about that because he always gave him lots of attention. He wonders where he is. He can tell Michael misses him too.

***

One night, there are lots of visitors. Bear wags his tail at every one of them, even the scary ones. They never come inside and part of him is grateful, but most of him wonders where Michael is. He'd left earlier in the evening. Bear could tell he was nervous and had tried to follow him out. He needs to protect him, after all! But Michael had told him to stay, so he would do what his favorite human asked and stay behind to guard the house from the scary potential friends.

Michael comes home long after the visitors have stopped coming. The click of the front door wakes Bear from his nap on the couch and his ears perk up. He's at Michael's side immediately, thrilled to see him since he had been gone for so long. But Michael trudges to his room, collapsing facedown on the bed. Bear flops next to him and snuffles against his side. Michael doesn't stir.

He smells almost entirely unfamiliar, an overpowering mixture of smoke and sadness, topped off with the sweat of total strangers. Bear smells Jeremy on him, bitter anger and alcohol and fear hidden in the folds of his clothes. Michael reeks of despair and the faint remains of panic and Bear does  _ not _ approve.

Bear knows he's not the brightest of pups. He was the dumb one of his litter, after all, and even he knows he wasn't easy to train. But Michael taught him how to sit and stay and high five and Michael never gave up on him, even when it would have been easiest to and he loves Michael with every ounce of his being and more. So seeing Michael the kind of sad that not even toys or treats will fix breaks Bear's heart too. He knows he's not the smartest, but he knows when Michael is sad and he's found that if he's good for anything, it's comfort.

He noses his way under Michael's arm gently with a quiet whine. Michael's breathing is shaky, faced pressed into the comforter, but he's not crying, not anymore. Bear noses at his cheek until he turns to face him and promptly begins to cover his face in slobbery kisses, rinsing away the remnants of salt and sadness left by his tears. And despite everything, Michael chokes out a laugh, pushing Bear's face away and wiping his cheeks against the covers. When he's finished, he sobers again, but he wraps his arms around Bear and buries his face in his fur.

“At least I have you, buddy,” he mumbles after a while, starting to drift off.

Bear seems to huff in response.  _ Always _ , he seems to say.

***

The next couple weeks are tough for Michael, Bear can tell. He seems burnt out, a shell of how he used to be. His eyes rarely sparkle anymore. Bear can tell that Mom and Mama are worried about him too. Nobody is quite sure how to help.

Surprisingly, it's Mr. Heere who snaps him out of it, strutting up their front porch steps in his boxers and sitting down across from Michael, who scrambles to hide the joint he'd been smoking. Bear, stretched out lazily in a sunny spot on the porch, tail thumping noisily against the wood, raises his head to look up at him. It's been a while since he'd seen him. Mr. Heere scratches him gently behind the ears before turning back to Michael. But the sun lulls Bear into a light doze and he doesn't wake up until he hears the creak of the last step as Mr. Heere leaves. However, Michael looks determined and for the first time in weeks, there's fight in his eyes again.

Bear chases after Mr. Heere to give him a thank you kiss on the cheek.

***

Michael comes home the next day later than usual and he has the same sharp scent of chemicals and other people's bitter illness that Mama does when she comes home from work. He smells like vague resentment and surprise and someone else's sorrow and guilt, but there's almost a spring in his step again, so Bear isn't too concerned.

This pattern continues for a few more days Each time he comes home, Michael seems lighter somehow and a bit of his bitter anger has disappeared. The scent of the unfamiliar person is always barely but unmistakably  _ there _ , muffled, somehow, under bandages and medicine and sadness. But one night, Michael doesn't come home until around 3:30 in the morning. Bear wakes to the sound of the front door and follows Michael to his room, just like that one night. He still collapses on the bed with a groan, but this time he blinks up at the ceiling for a couple of seconds and falls asleep. He smells like the Human Vet Place again, but this time Bear can smell the faded adrenaline rush, the saccharine scent of soda and salty sweat, the anxiety and panic and anger and love and  _ Jeremy _ , the sharp scent of electricity lacing its way through it all.

Not for the first time, he wonders what his person gets up to when he's not around to protect him.

***

The next weekend, Jeremy comes over for the first time in months.

Bear is thrilled to see him. Michael is happy to see him too, but he's also sad and anxious and so, so angry. Bear smells the anxiety leaking from Jeremy too, the sorrow and the sadness and the guilt.

They give each other shaky, obviously forced smiles and head down to Michael's room. The air is tense, tense enough that you could throw a ball at it and it would bounce back and hit you in the face.

Jeremy's beanbag chair seems to envelope him like a hug, a second skin. Something had seems out of place these past few months and Bear only realizes it's Jeremy now that he’s back  _ in  _ place and everything is normal again.

Except everything isn't normal because Michael looks stormy and Jeremy looks uncomfortable and there's still that horrible tension sitting between them like a third person. Bear has seen them after a fight before but it wasn't like this, never like this. He settles himself between the two of them, just in case, and maybe he takes a quick nap, but he still keeps one ear open. When familiar music and gunshots start to ring out from the TV speakers and anger is directed there instead of each other, Bear knows they'll be okay.

***

A few weeks later, things are  _ not _ okay.

This fight is a bad one. It's like when Mom and Mama fight after a long day and buried insecurities, but  _ worse _ and  _ loud _ like thunderclaps and fireworks. If words were storms, they would be throwing hurricanes.

Or at least, that's what it sounds like to Bear, who hides under the kitchen table and whimpers quietly like he does whenever a storm rips through the house.

Suddenly it's quiet. The silence is deafening for a moment, tense and almost loud, and then it's broken and they speak in quiet voices. The anger is gone and now they just sound sad and exhausted. Raw and healing. Bear creeps quietly into the room to be completely sure that they're okay and won't start yelling at each other again. They both look shaken to the core so Bear sprawls across their feet to make sure they're safe. It's enough to draw a smile and Michael scratches him behind the ear while Jeremy strokes his side. They fall asleep there and when Bear cracks an eye open later, he sees Mom and Mama smiling from the doorway.

_ They'll be okay _ , he seems to whisper to them. This time he's sure.

Sometimes, Bear thinks, storms can be good.

***

For the first time  _ ever _ , Michael brings home a friend that isn't Jeremy.

He's smaller than Michael, but stronger, with textured, recently healed skin and a pleasantly raspy voice. He speaks perpetually in exclamation points and something about the way he says certain things is different from anything Bear has ever heard before. He hears them coming first, then smells them, and by the time Michael opens the door, he remembers why this new person’s scent is so familiar.

_ Bandage boy!!  _ he barks as he knocks over the newcomer.  _ You escaped your bandages!! _

Belatedly, he remembers he's not supposed to knock over new friends, but the newly freed bandage boy doesn't seem to mind too much aside from his initial surprise and Michael sounds more amused than anything and really, he's just too excited to care. The boy escaped his bandages and became a friend!

From beneath 137 pounds of white fur and love, Rich gasps out an excited, “I didn't know you had a dog!”

“Uh,” Michael says intelligently, clearing his throat. “Surprise?”

“Best. Surprise.  _ Ever. _ ” Rich laughs while Bear licks at his cheeks. “I can't believe you never told me you had a dog!”

“I don't know, it just never really came up?” Michael sounds awkward and he knows it, but he can't help the way he's speaking in questions because his mind is full of question marks at the strange fluttering Rich's gap toothed smile is causing in his stomach. Though the question is merely a formality; he knows exactly  _ why _ it's happening. Who allowed him to look so  _ cute _ ?

Michael attributes it to Bear. Anybody would look at least ten times more adorable with his throw rug of a dog settled happily on top of them, covering their face with kisses.

“Yeah, 'cause you never talk about yourself!” Rich exclaims almost accusingly. His narrowed eyes would probably look more intimidating if he weren't buried under a mountain of dog, but Michael decides not to tell him that. “It's always  _ neat random fact this _ or  _ video games that _ , and, like, don't get me wrong, that's all super interesting! But I wanna hear about  _ you _ !”

(Bear hears both of their heartbeats pick up speed.)

“Wh- I talk about myself!” Michael defends. He pauses for a moment, confusion clouding his face briefly. “I think.”

“Not really!”

“I- well-” Michael splutters. “I'm not as interesting as those things!”

(He doesn't mention that he's not as interesting as everyone else either, with their parties and their SQUIPs and their... interesting personalities. He's just Michael, who hides in a hoodie and smokes weed in his basement and hasn't had anyone other than Jeremy over since elementary school.)

“Bullshit!” Rich dismisses. “You're  _ way _ more interesting than any of that!”

Michael… honestly doesn't know what to say to that. Neither does Rich, it seems, so they stare at each other with wide eyes while Bear pants happily on Rich's chest.

“Michael,” Mama deapans. “Why is your dog lying on your friend like some kind of sentient blanket?”

“Hi, Mrs. Mell!” Rich greets. Bear blinks up at her innocently.

“Hi, Rich. Nice to see you out of the hospital,” Mama smiles before turning to Bear, tone becoming stern. “Bear. Off. What did we tell you about jumping on guests?”

Bear gets up reluctantly, trotting to her side. She scratches him behind the ears, telling him what a good boy he is. Bear closes his eyes in bliss. He  _ is _ a good boy.

“Oh, I don't mind!” Rich says as he stands, brushing a cloud of long white fur from his clothes.

“Let me get a look at you.” Mama straightens while Rich holds himself still for inspection. “Your burns have healed nicely! You've been putting your ointment on, right?”

“Yes, ma'am!” Rich grins.

“Good boy.” She pats his cheek.

At that moment, Mom bustles into the room. Bear trots up to her, tail wagging furiously. She pats him on the head before turning to the trio and excitedly exclaiming, “Oh my gosh, you must be Rich!”

Rich smiles. “That's me! Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mell!”

“Oh, none of that!” she chuckles, waving her hand as if clearing away a bad smell. “Call me Isabelle!”

“Look at him!” Mama gushes, squishing Rich's cheeks. “He's so handsome without the bandages!”

(Michael snickers. Rich glares at him, but there isn't any real heat in the look. They miss the knowing look that passes between the two mothers. Michael, however,  _ does _ notice the mischief now glittering in his mom's eyes. Suddenly, he fears for his dignity.)

“Well, I'm the only one who didn't see him in the hospital, but he's definitely a looker, isn't he, Michael?”

Michael's eyebrows shoot skyward. “Uh, I mean,” he coughs awkwardly, avoiding all eye contact, “I think anyone would look better when they're not in a full-body cast.”

Rich is flushed, also avoiding eye contact. He finds his focus on Bear, who also somehow seems to have a knowing look in his eyes. Rich brushes it off as paranoia, but a little voice in his head reminds him that dogs usually know exactly how people are feeling.

To Michael's great relief, Mama decides to take pity on them. “Well, go on, get out of here. Do your thing.”

Michael turns to Rich, nodding in the direction of the basement. “Come on.”

“There's snacks in the kitchen!” Mom calls after them.

“You're right, he totally has a crush on him,” Bear hears her whisper to her wife once the boys are out of earshot.

***

These days, Rich is over almost more than  _ Jeremy _ is. Which is saying something, considering Jeremy has practically lived at the Mell house since kindergarten.

To be fair, they now also have more friends than they used to, so Jeremy spends less time at the Mell house than he did prior to junior year. Though that's not a bad thing. Michael  _ also _ spends less time at home than he used to. This saddens Bear a little bit, but Michael and Jeremy both smile a little wider now, and that erases any sad he might've felt. Besides, Michael keeps bringing home new friends!

The first time the entire squad meets Bear, it's a happy occasion for all. They fall in love with him right away and Bear loves them all right back.

Movie nights and gaming competitions usually take place in Michael's basement because he has the largest space, the best sound system, and the most blankets and pillows. Seriously, Jeremy tells them, they have a whole closet dedicated solely to blankets and towels. Rich backs him up. Michael says majority of them were gifts.

(The glaring reason is also because they want to see Bear.)

They put the surplus of blankets and pillows to good use, creating a cozy nest on the unforgiving basement floor. This creates the perfect atmosphere for them to cuddle as if they're a family of otters, no matter what kind of movie they're watching. Without fail, Bear will find his way into the mess of limbs, either by sprawling directly on top of them all, curling up next to Michael, or finding himself being used as a pillow (not that he minds).

***

When Bear has his first playdate with Flowers and Bambi, nobody is quite sure how it's going to go.

Chloe is admittedly a little worried, because Bambi cowers at sudden moves and loud noises and practically everything, but Michael assures her they'll be fine. Bear adjusts to whoever he's playing with. That's not to say that he isn't also a little worried, however.

Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly, depending on whether you're primarily optimistic or not), the three dogs get along incredibly well. Flowers, though a little shy at first, warms up to Bear almost immediately. Michael is certain the two are now best friends.

Bambi, however, hides behind Chloe's legs for the first five minutes. His tail is tucked between his legs, but he's staring longingly at Bear tussling happily with his new pitbull friend.

“Go and play with them, you big baby,” Chloe says with an irritated sign and a soft smile, shoving her ridiculous rottweiler towards the other dogs.

He looks back at her, utter betrayal in his dark eyes, but she only looks at him challengingly, waving her hand towards where Bear and Flowers are chasing each other around the yard. Soon enough, the siren call of his sister and her new friend lures him out into the open yard where they pull him into whatever they're playing.

The rest of the gang arrives and one of Chloe's brothers walks around shirtless to assert his dominance, but the dogs continue playing, seemingly blissfully unaware of anything outside of their little game. 

When the sun is setting and Michael is driving home with Bear panting happily out of the window, he thinks he can safely conclude that things are getting better.

***

The first time Bear meets Terror the terrier, he's a little confused by how  _ small _ she is.

And angry. She's very angry. Maybe she's angry about how small she is.

Bear honestly doesn't know what to do. She's so _ tiny _ that he's afraid he'll accidentally crush her if he makes the wrong move. So he sniffs at her gently and cocks his head to the left, staring at the small angry dog yelling at the top of her lungs.

“Wow, Christine, Terror really lives up to her name,” Michael comments dryly.

“Yeah,” Christine sighs. “She really is a sweetheart once you get past all of….this.” She gestures vaguely towards her little ball of rage.

Bear turns to Michael with a look of cautious confusion. Terror is still screaming. Michael laughs, calling Bear over with a gentle, “C'mere, buddy.” Bear trots over gratefully, placing his head on Michael's lap.

“You're a little menace,” Christine coos, picking Terror up, who is now too busy trying to lick her face to continue her yapping. She holds her away from her face, looking sternly into her eyes and scolds, “Stop being mean to Bear. He didn't do anything to you.”

Michael snorts. Christine sighs and plops down on the couch next to him. Terror climbs off of her and down onto the cushions.. She sniffs cautiously at Bear, who eyes her back, though his whole body sways slightly with the force of his wagging tail. Slowly, she places her paw on his nose.

Michael and Christine burst into laughter. “I'd count that as a win,” Michael says.

***

One night, Bear hears Rich coming up the porch steps. It's one of the rare times when no one is home. Bear hears the scrape of a potted plant being lifted aside and the click of the key in the lock. His tail wags furiously as Rich comes inside and closes the door behind him.

“Hey, buddy,” he says, kneeling down so that he's at eye level with the happy dog in front of him as he scratches him behind the ears. “Mind me hanging out for a bit?”

Bear snuffles worriedly against the crook of his neck. Rich smells like he always does, traces of smoke and alcohol tucked away between warm folds of sharp cologne and sadness. But tonight, the scent of alcohol is stronger and his sadness drips from the hard curves of his muscles and hides under his tongue next to his fear. 

He herds him to the couch, curling up in the corner. Rich sits down next to him and strokes his side absently, staring off into space. He doesn't voice what he's thinking, but Bear smells longing on him and he looks so unbearably  _ sad _ that Bear is at a total loss for what to do. He settles for licking gently at his hand, which makes Rich smile, just a little bit, but it's enough. Just enough to let him know that he'll be okay.

The Mells open their door fifteen minutes later, arms full of steaming takeout, and find Rich asleep on their couch and their dog. Bear's head pops up from where it was resting on his shoulder, evidenced by the big damp spot of drool on Rich's shirt. His tail thumps against the cushions excitedly, but he doesn't move much more than that and he doesn't give his usually barked greeting. They set the takeout containers quietly on the counter. Michael leans over Rich, gently shaking him awake to ask if he wants some food.

Rich, for his part, is not expecting the tears suddenly leaking from his eyes and he looks almost as surprised as Michael. Michael finds himself clutching two arms full of crying Rich close to his chest. Everything is muffled to Rich, but he feels Bear nosing worriedly at the back of his neck and then he feels two more sets of arms around him, murmuring soft placations into his hair.

When his tears finally subside, he slowly peels his face away from Michael's hoodie and wipes his face with the back of his hand, avoiding all eye contact. Isabelle hands him a glass of water and a takeout container with a small, sympathetic smile.

Later that night, Bear is dozing lightly with his head in Rich's lap when he feels the soft rumble of Rich's voice start up again. To Michael, the words almost blend with the patter of the rain, steady and quiet and bearing the weight of the world. The dull clang of swords and crashing waves blur together, mixing with adrenaline fueled banter to create the perfect background noise for Rich's stories.

Rich talks about his mother. Her sunflower smile and her lavender presence. How she soothed and healed until the day she burnt out. About his house and the way it was only home when she was around. The way she'd play music, loud and full flowing from the record player, and dance around with him until his father and brother joined in. Every quirk, every memory pours out of his mouth without much conscious thought and Bear smells the tears pooling again. He figures Michael must too because he pulls Rich into another hug. This time, however, Rich is facing the other direction rather than being smushed up against Michael's chest, so he can still talk. Bear looks up at him with sad eyes and licks his forearm.

The world narrows down to Michael's basement, in all its dimly lit, slightly stuffy glory, and for a while, that's all that matters. Just two boys and a dog, weathering out another April shower.

***

One day, Michael takes Bear on a drive. They pick up Jeremy on the way, who slides into the passenger seat and turns around to give Bear a pat on the head. Next they stop for Rich, who hops into the backseat with him, much to Bear's great delight. The drive is filled with music and laughter, wind combing it's fingers through their hair as it rushes in from the open windows.

They pull up just as Chloe hops down from her older brother's truck, walking around to the back and lowering the tailgate so she can get to Flowers and Bambi. Jake climbs out from the passenger side and clips the leash he's holding onto Bambi's collar. Brooke, Jenna, and Christine are waving to them from a bench while Terror yaps at a couple of pigeons who dared to wander too close to her human.

They spend the rest of the day running around the park and laughing. By the time the afternoon light starts to intensify into golden hour, the group has managed to create an odd game of freeze tag where you can only unfreeze when a dog touches you, though by now, it has mostly dissolved into simply playing with the dogs. Michael is sitting off to the side, out of breath and taking a break. The voices of his friends whistle and promise treats as they try to entice the dogs, creating a nice amount of white noise for his thoughts.

He wraps his arms loosely around his knees and thinks about the past school year as he catches his breath. How goddamn bizarre it had been. How everything felt like it would never be okay again.

He hears the soft rustle of shoes on grass and looks up to find Jenna sitting down next to him.

“You good?” she asks simply, taking a swing of water.

Michael looks out at what his life has become for now. Brooke has Bambi's front paws in her hands and they appear to be dancing, while Jake rolls around in the dirt with Flowers. Jeremy and Christine laugh at the others, frozen at odd angles and trying to get a dog's attention as Chloe tries to lure Terror closer from where she's running back and forth in front of her. His eyes settle on Rich, who seems to have been distracted from his victory as “it” and is instead at a deadlock with Bear. Suddenly Bear leaps at him, knocking him over and covering Rich's face with kisses, just like the first time they met. Seeming to sense Michael's attention, though, both turn their heads to face him. Rich waves with a wide grin. Michael waves back, a smile playing at the edge of his lips.

He doesn't know what's ahead. What they'll face next. But for now…

“Yeah,” he say, turning to Jenna. “I'm good.”

**Author's Note:**

> STOP!!  
> EVERYONE, LOOK AT THIS BOMB ASS [ART](https://bemorechillifries.tumblr.com/post/179272903556/hey-im-screaming-bc-look-magicalplaylist) @magicalplaylist DREW!!! MY BOYS!!!  
> also fun fact: a lot of this stuff is based off of my dogs! they're my inspiration lmao i love them  
> anyways, i hope you guys enjoyed!! i'm bemorechillifries on tumblr, come scream with me!!

**Works inspired by this one:**

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